Georgia Bulldogs Kirby Smart on the departure of Dan Lanning
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is losing arguably his top coordinator to the Pac-12. The Bulldogs defensive coordinator Dan Lanning will be leaving Athens to take over the head coaching position at the Oregon.
In a statement released by Smart, the Georgia head coach showed his appreciation for the longtime member of his coaching staff.
“We are so happy for Dan and his family. He and Sauphia have been an important part of our Bulldog family for the last four years, and we thank them for all they did for Georgia football and the Athens community. Opportunities like this are a testament to a successful program. While he will coach with us for the upcoming College Football Playoff, he will move forward with Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp as Co-defensive coordinators. Dan and I are both looking forward to preparing for the CFP,” said Smart.
As stated by coach Smart, Lanning will remain with the Bulldogs throughout the College Football Playoff. But he will do so with Schumann and Muschamp as co-coordinators.
Lanning landing with the Ducks
On Saturday, FOX analyst and writer for The Athletic Bruce Feldman confirmed the speculation, originally reported by Chip Towers of the Atlanta Constitution-Journal on Friday, that Lanning will be the next head coach at Oregon.
According to John Canzano of The Oregonian, the Oregon players have now been informed of the move as well. Additionally, On3’s Matt Zenitz confirmed the report as well.
Details of the agreement and the timeline for the move are currently unknown.
Georgia’s defense was historically good this year under Lanning; they are the only team in the country currently holding opponents under 10 points per game. According to a story from Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports, a veteran coach referred to Lanning’s suffocating defense as a “defensive version of the run-pass option.” Not only is the scheme innovative, Georgia has immense talent, a lot of it recruited by Lanning. The Bulldogs currently have well over a dozen potential NFL Draft picks on their defensive roster.
The Bulldogs’ success earned them their second College Football Playoff berth, and they will play Michigan on Dec. 31 in the Orange Bowl with a chance to advance to the national championship. They are trying to win their first national title since 1980.
Lanning has been Georgia’s defensive coordinator since 2019 after a year as the outside linebackers coach. The Missouri native also brings national championship experience with him to Oregon, as he served as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2015. That year, the Crimson Tide defeated Clemson 45-40 in the national title game. From Tuscaloosa, Lanning went to Memphis for two years before landing at Georgia.
Lanning will replace Mario Cristobal, who departed for the same position at his alma mater, Miami. He is now the Ducks’ sixth head coach since the turn of the century. No school has had more than seven.